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Summary of NFL proposal...Players response to that proposal.

1. We more than split the economic difference between us, increasing our proposed cap for 2011 significantly and accepting the Union’s proposed cap number for 2014 ($161 million per club).

2. An entry level compensation system based on the Union’s “rookie cap” proposal, rather than the wage scale proposed by the clubs. Under the NFL proposal, players drafted in rounds 2-7 would be paid the same or more than they are paid today. Savings from the first round would be reallocated to veteran players and benefits.

3. A guarantee of up to $1 million of a player’s salary for the contract year after his injury – the first time that the clubs have offered a standard multi-year injury guarantee.

4. Immediate implementation of changes to promote player health and safety by:

Reducing the off-season program by five weeks, reducing OTAs from 14 to 10, and limiting on-field practice time and contact;

Limiting full-contact practices in the preseason and regular season; and

Increasing number of days off for players.

5. Commit that any change to an 18-game season will be made only by agreement and that the 2011 and 2012 seasons will be played under the current 16-game format.6. Owner funding of $82 million in 2011-12 to support additional benefits to former players, which would increase retirement benefits for more than 2000 former players by nearly 60 percent.

7. Offer current players the opportunity to remain in the player medical plan for life.

8. Third party arbitration for appeals in the drug and steroid programs.

10. A per-club cash minimum spend of 90 percent of the salary cap over three seasons.

====================================

From the NFLPA

March 11th, 2011 Issues which prevented a new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement from being reached:

The NFL demanded a multi-billion dollar giveback and refused to provide any legitimate financial information to justify it.

The NFL’s offer on March 7 to give the NFLPA a single sheet of numbers was NOT financial disclosure. The players’ accountants and bankers advised that the “offered” information was meaningless: only two numbers for each year.

The NFL wanted to turn the clock back on player compensation by four years, moving them back to where they were in 2007.

The NFL offered no proposal at all for long-term share of revenues.

NFL demanded 100% of all revenues which went above unrealistically low projections for the first four years.

The NFL refused to meet the players on significant changes to in-season, off-season or pre-season health and safety rules.

The NFL kept on the table its hypocritical demand for an 18-game season, despite its public claims to be working toward improving the heath and safety of players.

The NFL sought to limit rookie compensation long after they become veterans — into players’ fourth and fifth years

THE PLAYERS WANT TO KEEP PLAYING

The players offered repeatedly to continue working under the existing CBA, but were rejected by the NFL five times.

Despite publicly admitting no club was losing money, that TV ratings, sponsorship money, etc. were at an all time high, the NFL continued to insist on an 18-percent rollback in the players’ share of revenues and continue to deny the NFLPA’s request for justification.

The lawyers are the only winners here. Obviously, there is a lack of perspective by both parties, and as a consequence the game will officially begin to circle the drain. With decertification this season will become a mess, regardless of when it starts, if it starts. Fans will turn their backs on smaller market teams who are struggling. The players will lose a lot, for some perhaps as much as a quarter of their careers. I hope it was worth it to them. Bummer.

after watching the vids from both the owners and the players the only thing i came away with is that the players want access to and an audit of all financial records for the last 10 years which, lets face it, is uprecedented. i mean, when youre at work you dont demand that your boss show you how much money he made from your labors before you agree to start working again. you either agree to your rate of pay or you dont and you find another job. combine that with the fact that the lowest paid player in the game, say, a 3rd string punter(lol) will make like 200k a year and you have what i refer to as anal fistedness. greedy bitches squabbling with greedy bitches about who is greedier.

the 18 game thing imo was nothing but another bargaining chip.it just seems as though it was a kind of "phantom offer". they say they want 18 game seasons right before the CBA expires, knowing that the players would flip out about it and then when the time comes to start dealing they take it off the table and pretend like theyre making some kind of concession that can be pointed to like "just look at all the stuff we're willing to concede, we're being SO reasonable".

The more I think about how far south this has gone the more it irritates me. Both sides have valid points and neither feels the other has given enough. From the owners perspective though, Deviouz makes a good point. The NFL already disclosed some records but asking them to show that much information is pushing isn't fair either. Some things you just don't get access to unless you're in the right pay grade of the company. Unless the information they want is on public record then asking for all of it, regardless of what the NFL is hiding, is alittle over the top if you ask me.

I've normally been on the players side through most of this. Let's face it, the NFL is a business and they care about money first and foremost. It's not about the fans, it's about their business. The players have decided they want to go the route of the courts; a fair and impartial judge (we hope) could take this to a whole new level and really expose both sides. It could be a pandora's box.

wouldnt it be interesting(read; catastrophic) if the players decided to create their own league? sort of like a revisiting of the old AFL/NFL with the nfl scraping the barrel for anyone wholl play for them and the players trying to snare the lions share of the fans without the benefit of those team names that we all love so dearly.

the thing is that players are replaceable. but there is only one team that will ever be called the Pittsburgh Steelers.

An interesting concept to think about to say the least, that would turn the sports world upside down..LOL. but of course we know it'll never happen. There's no way the players could form their own league and nail down tv contracts, merchandising, or even find a place to play in such a short amount of time. All that stuff is controlled by the league and the court time alone would be years.

after watching the vids from both the owners and the players the only thing i came away with is that the players want access to and an audit of all financial records for the last 10 years which, lets face it, is uprecedented. i mean, when youre at work you dont demand that your boss show you how much money he made from your labors before you agree to start working again. you either agree to your rate of pay or you dont and you find another job. combine that with the fact that the lowest paid player in the game, say, a 3rd string punter(lol) will make like 200k a year and you have what i refer to as anal fistedness. greedy bitches squabbling with greedy bitches about who is greedier.

the 18 game thing imo was nothing but another bargaining chip.it just seems as though it was a kind of "phantom offer". they say they want 18 game seasons right before the CBA expires, knowing that the players would flip out about it and then when the time comes to start dealing they take it off the table and pretend like theyre making some kind of concession that can be pointed to like "just look at all the stuff we're willing to concede, we're being SO reasonable".

honestly its a circle jerk of the highest order.

you at work are not a pratner with your boss, so you can't compare what you do to professional football players as you can get an equal or better job in your field players can't its this or another field that they haven't spent their whole lives training for. The players are held hostage if they are to play the game they love, and the players did not opt out of the last CBA the owners did.